A Boat Appears on The Deep Blue Sea
by thelastclarissa
Summary: AU. Same world as my Darcy/Loki story and there will be some overlaps. Jane is darker than in the movie, Thor is a bit more nurturing. There will be some comedy, but seriousness at times too. Narcissistic boy meets sweet, self-conscious girl and they balance each other out.
1. Chapter 1

Thor sighed and downed his beer. Oh well. What was he even doing here? he wondered. Trying to help his estranged little brother, that's what. Fat lot of good he was doing, too.

Since he was at a bar though- he walked over to the tiny little brunette that sat at a back table nursing a drink and pouring over some papers. She looked cute with her eyes squinting at something on those papers, all serious-like. Not his usual type, but something about meeting Darcy had him wanting something a bit farther from the young, giggling blondes he usually went for.

He sat down across from her.

"You look very busy," he said, not really caring that he was interrupting her or that _because_ she was so busy she might now welcome his interruption. He was bored and didn't want to go back to his empty hotel room.

She looked up, startled, still obviously absorbed by whatever those papers were about.

"I'm sorry," she said, her eyes wide and confused. "What was that?"

Her voice was soft and almost hard to make out under the general noise of the bar. Thor leaned in closer to hear better, and she pulled back a little.

Ah. Thor grinned. So she was skittish. He was enjoying himself now.

"I said that you looked busy. What is this?" he said, gesturing to the papers strewn all over the table. They had little notes all over them in neat, decisive handwriting. He picked one up. It was titled: 'Thermonuclear Fusion and it's Effects on the Working Man's Life'. He raised his brows. Good lord. Not _at all_ his usual type.

The woman snatched the paper out of his hand. "Thank you," she said crisply, "but I'll take that." And she scooped all of the papers into a pile in front of her as if guarding them from him. Her cheeks were pink now. Was she embarrassed? Or was she just angry? She was incredibly beautiful. He'd thought so before, but now that she was right in front of him it nearly hit him over the head. Her face was delicate, her features fine and perfectly suited to her. Warm, peachy skin dusted with a few freckles on her nose; her eyes a light, cornflower blue that gave her an almost other-worldly appearance; dark lashes; and plump, pink lips that looked soft and inviting. Her dark brown hair was lush and curled appealingly at the top of her breasts.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked at length, and he realized he'd just been staring at her for some time. She'd winced as she said it. Why had she winced? Did she regret saying that? Why was he so interested? He felt a bit foolish for staring, and for being more interested in her than he liked, so he covered with what he realized instantly as a terrible idea.

"You can have sex with me," he heard his voice say, and wanted to sigh. Well fuck. That was entirely the wrong approach to take with a little thing like this. She would be scared away now.

Her mouth dropped open a bit and her eyes got, impossibly, wider. He was about to apologize and try to ingratiate his way back into her- well, he'd never actually really _been_ in her good graces, had he? In any case, as he was about to speak she just starting laughing. And laughing. He looked on at her with a mix of confusion, relief, annoyance, and amusement.

"Oh my god," she gasped finally, holding her belly with one hand and wiping a tear of mirth with her other. "Oh my god. Thank you so much." She grinned brightly at him and he felt something warm and strange touch his heart. "I really needed that."

He liked hearing her laugh. But it dawned on him- she was laughing _at_ him. This, he did _not_ like.

"I am glad I amuse you," He said, knowing he sounded surly but not caring.

Instantly, she looked stricken. "Oh!" She said, her eyes filled with remorse. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I just-" she smothered a giggle, "'You can have sex with me'. People don't usually just come right out and say things like that. Not to me, anyways. Thank you though! I love that you did." Sincerity brimmed from her voice. "This is so odd. This whole thing." She grinned and waved a vague hand at herself and him. "Interesting things just don't happen to me. So really- thank you. I should probably go though," she said, glancing at her watch and scooting out of the booth.

"No," Thor said. He didn't want her to go. She amused him. "Stay." He halted her hand as she went to scoop up the papers.

"Sorry. I really should go," she said, shrugging his hand off politely. "It's getting kind of late."

Thor was extremely frustrated. He'd wanted to be distracted when he'd come over to her, not intrigued. Now she was going to just leave, and he would be even worse off than when he started.

"I would like your number," he said. Not that he was going to be in New Mexico much longer, but...he couldn't really explain it. He just wanted her number.

"Oh," she said, clearly not expecting this. And how did she not expect it? he wondered. She was a beautiful woman and she'd been hanging out in a bar. Did men really never ask for her number? "I don't really give it out. I'm sorry." And she truly did sound sorry. "Have a good night."

Thor was even more frustrated now. She had turned to leave, but he asked, "At least your name, then. Tell me that." He just wanted something to remember her by. There was something about her that he knew would stick with him, though there was no reason at all for it. She was just some woman he'd spent maybe five minutes talking to at a random bar in N_ew Mexico_, of all places.

"Ah," she said, seeming to consider it. "Um. It's Jane."

Jane. It did not suit her. Such a plain name for someone so incredibly beautiful. What kind of cruel irony was this?

"I am Thor," he said.

She smiled to herself. "Thor," she said, as if sounding the name out. Looking at him again, she said, "Well. It was nice meeting you, Thor." And she turned, twisting her way through the crowd.

He watched her walk away, appreciating the slight sashay of her hips and conscious of the feeling of being deprived of something he wanted.

"Jane," he said to himself, brooding over why he had liked her so much. He gave up a moment later, uncomfortable with what he came up with.

He took another woman back to his hotel that night and left New Mexico the next day.


	2. Chapter 2

_ What a strange night,_ Jane thought as she slipped into her nightie and braided her hair.

Mondays and Wednesdays she had yoga. Tuesdays and Thursdays were for focusing on some kind of art- whether that ended up being writing poetry, painting, or practicing piano, it was up to what she felt like on the given day. The weekend was for getting out in the fresh air and exercising. And on Wednesdays she took her research to the bar and studied it there amid the boisterous atmosphere, to get another change of scene.

She didn't socialize much, though that wasn't necessarily her choice. People just tended not to like her. Oh, most of them pretended they did- like Darcy, her assistant at the lab. But they didn't really. They kept her at a distance and she couldn't figure out why. She wondered about it a _lot_. More than she should, she was sure. But she couldn't figure it out! It drove her _crazy_. What _was it_ about her that people hated so much? She made a point to always be nice, always be polite, always take an interest in others' lives, and yet...people never tried to get closer to her. She'd never had a best friend. Barely even really had 'friends'.

She'd had few relationships. Men came onto her frequently for some reason- it wasn't pleasant. She was just too nice though, and had a hard time being firm with her 'leave me alone's. But even when she'd liked them enough to agree to go out with them they were satisfied with a shallow relationship consisting of maybe knowing what she liked to do in her free time and how she liked her steak (not at all; she was a vegetarian). They rarely asked about her past or even tried to get to know her, which made her reluctant to share on her own because then she felt like she would be boring them. It didn't make for satisfying relationships.

What she wanted more than anything was to connect to someone. She didn't even care at this point if it was a man or a woman- she was just emotionally starving and clueless about how she could fix it.

The man at the bar had been interesting though. He'd broken the monotony of what her life had become. For one thing, he had been quite an exception among the men that had hit on her in the past. Most at least _tried_ to be smooth and charming. Not this one. Thor. Jane chuckled to herself. He had been almost _rude_. Well, actually he had _definitely_ been rude, but she hadn't minded it- a surprise in itself because, personally, she tried to be polite at all times so as to offend as few people as possible. But his rudeness had been almost charming in its own way. Even close to a compliment.

It had been clear that he was talking to her because he _wanted _to be talking to her, and it made her glow a little to remember that he hadn't wanted her to leave. Had even tried to get her number.

She shivered as she stood alone in her bathroom and opened the bottle of her pills. His _eyes_- he had stared at her intently throughout their whole exchange, and it had been heady being the complete focus of such a huge, _intense_ man. Who had been gorgeous. Not her usual type, which tended more toward brainy, willowy men. Thor had been...well. Large. Like _really_ large. Over six feet, definitely. Quite possibly six and a half. And really fit, too. He'd been wearing a simple dark green t-shirt and jeans, and the t-shirt had molded to what she was sure were rock-hard abs. His face had been rugged and attractive, with a square jawline, high cheekbones, and sharp nose that looked like it might have been broken before. His skin was tanned. His eyes a deep, magnetic blue.

He had the ability to be extremely intimidating, and she even got the sense that he used that quality purposefully sometimes- yet she had felt perfectly safe. Had felt more able to be herself, in fact, than she had felt in quite a while. She had even snapped at him! It had surprised her so much, because she usually had such a tight grip on her more inappropriate impulses. She had been mortified at the time, but thinking back was more amazed that she'd actually done it than regretful.

Taking two pills out of the bottle, she swallowed them down with a swig of water. Her depression pills. She had battled depression since she was a teen and her mother had married an emotionally abusive man. She had been so relieved to get a scholarship after high-school and be able to just _leave_. But her depression had followed her. All the nagging doubts and self-consciousness. They were stuck under her skin like insects in amber. They were just part of her now. The pills kept it manageable though, and being aware of it was incredibly helpful. Then she could catch herself when she was getting sucked in by her issues. It was also important to make sure she had a strict schedule and not too much time to herself to obsess over things, because that spiraled down to a bad place.

"Jane," she said to herself as she stood in front of her bathroom mirror, her hands at her sides. "You're going to be fine." She tried a smile. Her brow furrowed and she traced her curved lips in on the mirror- what a strange thing, to be able to smile when you weren't happy. And yet she wasn't exactly _unhappy_...it was more of a deep, long-term melancholy. She sighed.

Her face was pale. Shadows lay unattractively below her eyes. She was a light sleeper, and woke frequently all through the night, never really getting to the restive state. It was hell.

"You're going to think about five things that made you smile today, and then you're going to read for thirty minutes and and go to bed."

She looked awful. Almost ghostly. And she was so- _Enough!_ She stopped herself before she could really get going. The list went on for a long time. She'd been to the end of it many times. _Enough. Focus on the good things, Janey. _

"Okay. Okay, good things," she thought back over the day. "I saw a bluebird. It was so pretty," she smiled faintly, remembering it. What it must be like to be able to just fly away...And bird's brains were so simple. There weren't all these confusing thoughts jumping around inside your head. Survival and reproduction, that's all birds thought about. "Second thing...Darcy told me a joke. Something about how many plumbers it took to screw in a light bulb...but I can't remember the punchline. Third thing...there was an amusing turn of phrase in one of the articles on fusion that sounded like a dirty pun. Fourth thing...that guy. Thor." Jane smiled again to herself as she remembered it. "Fifth thing..." She fiddled with the end of her braid as she wracked her mind. "Umm. Fifth thing...well. Fifth- oh!" She grinned, relieved. "There was a song on the radio that was really funny. Good. That's five things."

She felt ridiculous for it, but honestly, it helped. So she did it every night.

She walked through the bathroom door into her bedroom. Snuggling into her bed and wrapping herself in blankets- even New Mexico got chilly in November- she picked up the romance novel she was in the middle of. They were her (incredibly) guilty pleasure. She would never admit to liking them, but, in fact, she ate them up. The idea that the hero and heroin ended up together, for sure for sure no playing around, despite whatever obstacles had to be overcome, was appealing to her on a deep level.

Reluctantly turning the light off half an hour later, Jane tossed and turned all night, waking up in the early light of the morning, glad to have gotten through the night once more.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **_Sorry! It's been a while. This chapter is still a bit gloomy, but I promise the next one is more cheerful, and then it should get better from there._

_Also, I thought it worked better for Jane's parents to be emotionally abusive rather than physically, so I changed that from chapter 2. =P_

* * *

Christmas Eve was lonely. She'd done her best to throw herself into the holiday cheer, but it was hard to dig up Christmas spirit when memories of Christmases past remained so vivid.

Her parents were very wealthy. She had grown up in the lap of luxury, a silver spoon in each hand, so to speak. She had been given the very best of everything. She had been sent to the best schools, been told to wear the most expensive clothes, been thrust into the very highest circles of society. Financially, Jane had thrived. Emotionally, she had been starved. Hugh and Lydia Foster managed to be cold and distant to their only child, while still mapping out the activities of her daily life and demanding perfection at every turn. Jane grew from a quiet, meek girl who could speak fluently in three languages yet barely spoke at all, to a shy, sad teen who retreated into the world of science- to the infinite reaches of space and the many unanswered questions and intrigues it held- when it became too much to face the more personal, important questions that she _knew_ the answers to and that were far more terrifying and important.

It had been just before Christmas- December twentieth, her birthday- that her parents had given her an ultimatum when she turned seventeen: marry a man they had chosen for her, some rich oil tycoon's son, by her next birthday, or get cut off. She remembered it clearly, because it had come as such a shock. It had never occurred to her that her parents would go _that_ far. And then as soon as she'd had that thought, it had struck her as painfully naïve and innocent to have thought that they wouldn't. Because of course they would. She had never been given the opportunity to make her own choices before, and she'd never rebelled- it seeming impossible- so why would they not take this step? Knowing it would be useless to argue, instead Jane had driven herself harder than ever at her studies, practically living inside textbooks except for the social functions her mother would drag her too. They were awful. Her mother would make the rounds with Jane on her arm and Jane would feel so awkward and clumsy that she'd be tongue-tied. She had been painfully shy. Her work had paid off though, and she'd gotten the scholarship she'd wanted so desperately. When she'd told her parents that she would, in fact, be going to college rather than marrying their oil tycoon's son, her mother had simply looked at her, her eyes cold and her face taught, and walked out. Her father had chewed her out for an hour as she felt smaller and smaller, and then, finally, had announced her disowned.

"I want you to be gone by tomorrow," he had said, his voice steely and unbending. She'd nodded, tears that had slipped out silently as he yelled drying tightly on her face. As she'd turned to slip out of his study he'd snorted, disgusted. "Eighteen years," he'd muttered, not speaking to her but not caring that she would hear. "What a god damn waste."

That had been the first truly terrible Christmas, not that the first eighteen were much good. It had been wonderful being free of the constant control, but then that first year of college had been when she met Keith, and she had, in effect, traded one prison for another.

Jane shook her head at her youthful folly. Keith had been a disaster. He was also the primary reason for putting men aside for so many years. As if she hadn't had enough issues before she'd met him...sighing, Jane plugged the lights in on her small Christmas tree, the smell of sugar cookies lifting her spirits slightly. _Letting go of the past_, she reminded herself. _I'm letting go of the past_. It was self-destructive to obsess over things you couldn't change. She'd been making an effort to put it to rest.

"_Rockin' around the Christmas tree, at the Christmas party hop..._" the radio sang, and Jane's lips curled up. She did have a weakness for Christmas songs, especially upbeat ones. There was something so wonderfully _hopeful_ about them.

* * *

Thor sat before a TV in a hotel room on Christmas Eve and popped the lid on a beer. Laurel and Hardy danced across the screen. They were acceptable, but no match for Abbot and Costello. Some Chinese food containers lay strewn on the table before him. Another Christmas gone by. What was that- ten without Loki? Too many, anyways.

"Thirty-two years old, and here I am- eating Chinese food in a hotel room, alone, for Christmas. Obviously I am doing something right," he said wryly to himself.

* * *

He spent Christmas day whittling as Laurel and Hardy fought their way through a marathon.

* * *

Jane spent Christmas curled up on the couch with some ice cream, reading romance novels.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**_ So just fyi, this chapter corresponds to chapter 16 of my Darcy/Loki story (which should be up by tomorrow), and you get a little bit of Darcy's perspective on Thor and Jane in it. Things get happier from this point on! Also, to answer one reviewer's question: yes, both Jane and Thor are human in this. I'm using S.H.I.E.L.D. as the company that Jane works for, but it's not the S.H.I.E.L.D. from the comics/movies- just a convenient name. Jane's back-story is, I'm sure, completely inaccurate from a canon stand-point. Thor's is mostly made up as well, except for the rift between him and Loki. I've taken liberties with their personalities, too. =P_

_You guys are great! =)_

* * *

At the end of March, Jane was requested to be transferred over to the Boston branch of S.H.I.E.L.D., the company that funded her research. Jane's skills would be appreciated on a new discovery. While Jane had mostly enjoyed her time in New Mexico, a change didn't seem at all objectionable, and really, she didn't have much keeping her there anyways.

By early April she'd moved into a tiny, one bedroom apartment in a respectable neighborhood in Boston. She was well paid by her firm, but didn't like to spend money. She remember well that first year of college when she'd lived on practically nothing as she spent long nights waiting tables after spending her days studying.

Having heard Darcy was now in Boston as well- a surprising, but pleasing, coincidence- she'd called her up. As well as catching up a bit- Darcy being warmer than Jane had remembered, making her feel bad that she'd thought her a bit less friendly- Darcy had invited her to Easter. Not having any plans and encouraged by Darcy's warmth, Jane accepted.

Easter rolled around and she found herself at Darcy's door, pecan pie in hand so she would feel a bit less like she was imposing. Darcy opened the door and grabbed Jane in a surprisingly fierce hug.

"Jane!" Darcy cried, hugging her tightly, though mindful of the pie.

"Darcy!" Jane returned, pleased by Darcy's enthusiasm. It was nice to be the recipient of her spiritedness.

"Come on in then, darling," Darcy said, adopting a sophisticated British accent as she pulled back and nodded toward what Jane assumed was the kitchen.

Smiling, Jane adopted a southern twang. "Well, thank you kindly, purdy lil lady." She followed Darcy to what was, indeed, a kitchen.

Ah. There was Loki- she nodded to him and he smiled and nodded back, engrossed in conversation with a tall blond man who had his back to her.

"We've just been getting water boiled for tea," Darcy said. "You want?"

The blond man turned slightly as Darcy walked past, and she could see his face. Jane blinked, shocked. "Hmm?" she said, vaguely remembering Darcy had asked something. Tea! That's right. It had been about tea. "Oh, no thanks," she said.

The blond man turned at the sound of her voice. And stared. It was the man from the bar! What an absurd coincidence. He'd had some kind of strange name...

"Oh, jeez!" Darcy said, slapping her forehead lightly and interrupting Jane's thoughts. "Of course- introductions. Jane, you and Loki know each other," they smiled at each other. Yes, they knew each other. There were a few months when Jane had even harbored a large crush on Loki, when he'd come to New Mexico to work with her. It had been clear that he'd become instantly smitten with Darcy though. "And this is Loki's brother, Thor. Thor this is my...ex-boss/friend."

Thor! _That's_ what his name was! She smiled warmly at him. He had been...very interesting. Jane remembered him fondly. She wondered if he remembered her at all. Probably not. She imagined he talked to loads of women at bars, the thought making her unaccountably annoyed.

He hadn't said anything yet, so Jane decided that he just didn't remember her. "Hello," she said, a bit disappointed. She found herself wishing that she had made a better impression on him before, but then caught herself and let the thought go. There was no reason for her to feel that way.

Finally, a reaction from him. He held out his hand, his eyes still on hers- did he remember her then? He was looking at her as if he might...?

"Hello," he said, his voice as deep and powerful as she'd remembered. He had a slightly strange accent- like British with a hint of Australian.

Everyone seemed to wait a beat for him to say more. He didn't. Jane was amused by this. He was like the epitome of the strong and silent type.

The kettle started shrilling and Darcy flinched, rushing over to it.

"We were just talking about Smart cars, Jane," Loki explained. "And my brother was saying how he had a funny story to tell." They all sat down at the table, Loki pulling out Darcy's chair for her. _How sweet_, Jane thought. She was glad they were together. Loki and her really would never have worked, and she was glad to be over her crush.

"A funny story!" Darcy cried, grinning excitedly. "Those are my favorite kinds!"

Jane smiled at Darcy's enthusiasm. It was both endearing and foreign to her, to be so passionate over what Jane would classify as pretty mundane things.

"Well," Thor said reluctantly- _Interesting_, Jane thought. _It's almost like he doesn't want to tell it anymore._- "I never said it was funny." He spoke in a tone that said not to get their hopes up, and she found herself intrigued. "I was driving back from the supermarket one day," he started, and Jane let his voice wash over her. It was so deep and masculine, and at some basic level, with his easy story-telling voice, it was comforting. "And there's this little Smart car in the lane next to me. And I'm in one, too, mind. Because I was renting a car, and all bloody Italy has are these tiny little things. So I'm hunched over in this ridiculously small car, my arms and legs barely being contained-" Jane giggled, picturing it, and something flashed in Thor's eyes that she couldn't read but had her giggles fading away to be replaced by a smile. He continued, getting more into the story. " Now, I didn't notice her at first. I was just driving. But then I start hearing these shouts, and I look over and the driver is yelling at me." People started serving themselves food at this point. Jane smiled as Thor took huge helpings of everything.

"What do you mean, yelling at you?" Loki asked. "What were you doing? And why were you driving to the supermarket in Italy? I would think it'd just be easier to walk."

Darcy gave Loki a look. "Oh, leave him alone," she said. "He was probably out in the country or something." She looked to Thor for confirmation. Thor nodded his head. "See?" Darcy said to Loki with a satisfied smirk.

Loki just smiled, shaking his head. "So what were you doing then, that someone started yelling at you?"

"Nothing," Thor said, shrugging his massive shoulders and taking a bite of mashed potatoes. He swallowed and continued. "I was just driving. Minding my own business. But I rolled down my window to hear what they were going on about, and it turns out that the driver is this tiny old woman and she's cussing me out. Being quite racist, too."

Darcy choked. "_What_? A racist old lady cussed you out? In Italy?" She turned to Loki. "See? This is why we should travel!_ I_ want to be cussed at by racist people too!"

Jane smiled at Darcy's bizarre claims. Back when she had been working for Jane, she'd always been saying things like that. Jane hadn't really known what to do with it. Loki seemed to know though.

"Well we don't need to travel for that," he said, looking at Darcy with so much warmth that Jane almost felt like she should look away. "If my girl wants to be cussed at by racist old women, I'm sure I can find her some right here in Boston. I'll put up an ad. 'Racists: you are finally wanted. Please bring your best insults to-'" Darcy punched his arm playfully and he stopped, smiling.

Seeing the two of them together and how right they were for each other made the ache for a man of her own like that a bit sharper. But it was difficult. Horribly difficult, to find a good man. And not only a good man, but one who was ready to actually commit to a relationship. So many men weren't. And Jane just didn't understand that. How could you not want the picket fence? The two car garage? The children playing out on the lawn, dogs barking happily as you threw a stick for them? That's what Jane wanted. A family. She _longed_ for it. Had been longing for it since she was young. That was one of the reasons she'd been so blinded by Keith. Partly blinded by first love, and partly blinded by the desire for a family of her own- a dangerous combination that had led to her entering into a terrible relationship. _And marriage_, she thought gloomily.

"What was she saying?" Darcy asked, jarring Jane from her thoughts. She pasted a smile on her face.

"She was calling me things like, 'big heathen Brit, where's your big Brit army now, you hulking brute?' and stuff like that. It was all a bit mental and didn't really make sense. Still not sure what I'd done to make her so mad."

Jane was both amused and offended for him. What a terrible thing to say to this man! She quite liked him. He seemed...she searched for the word. _Genuine_. Yes, that word fit. Like he wasn't the kind of man who tolerated lying. But then, there she was, making snap judgments when in reality she barely knew the man.

The talk turned to other things and Thor got quieter, putting in his input rarely but paying attention. Jane found herself being drawn out of her shell and laughing and bandying words back and forth with Darcy. Again and again she found her gaze drawn back to Thor. He had some kind of magnetism that just drew her eyes to sneak peeks at his face, or his chest, or his arms...

At eight o'clock though, she was ready to go home. Her need to be social appeased, she was looking forward to reading a bit and maybe writing. There had been a few vague ideas floating around in her head that she'd like to get down...

Saying goodnight and thanking Darcy and Loki- and promising to call Darcy to go out for a girl's night sometime soon- Thor offered to walk her out. Well, he'd more actually declared, "I will walk you down." But she wasn't complaining.

"You have a boyfriend," he stated as they walked down the stairs.

"Oh," Jane said, startled. "Umm, no, actually." Anticipating his next question, she was filled with an odd combination of dread and excitement.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise at this, but said, "Good," and her heart flopped. They stood on the porch steps now. "I would like to take you out." Jane couldn't help but smile at that. He didn't like to ask for things, Thor.

_Well...why not?_ She wondered. Instantly her mind came up with reasons she shouldn't, and ways it could end badly, but she decided to ignore them and give it a chance. She liked him.

"Okay," she said, and he...smiled. The effect was breath-taking. She literally gasped, his eyebrows furrowing slightly at her reaction. But when he smiled his face took on this sunny, entirely too gorgeous to be legal kind of look.

"Good," he said, and again she found herself smiling. He was so measured with his words. It had never struck her as something that she might find attractive, but she did. They traded phone numbers. "When are you free?" His first question, she noted with amusement.

"Oh, I've got tomorrow free, because of the holiday and everything, but then I'm pretty busy for the next week," The project she'd been transferred to Boston for had had a recent break-through that had everyone working a bit more intensely than usual, but she estimated that her work-hours would be back to normal before too long.

"Then how about tomorrow? Dinner?" His eyes were so intense. Warm, but intense. Jane grew a little bit flustered under their continued gaze.

"Umm, yeah. Yeah, I'd like that."

"Good," he said, yet again. She got the feeling that was a word that he used often to describe something that others might use synonyms like 'great!', 'awesome!', or 'wonderful!' for. She liked the simple, straightforwardness of 'good'. And she liked that he said it like he meant it, not like he was being polite. But then, he said _everything_ like he meant it. It was an unusual trait.

They made plans to go to an Italian restaurant, and Jane left feeling optimistic about their date tomorrow. And she couldn't seem to wipe the silly smile off of her face.

* * *

_**A/N2:** I've just been realizing that most of this fic is from Jane's point of view. Don't worry! The next chapter should be from Thor's. =)_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** _So I've had a hard time writing this fic, which means that sadly it is going to be pretty short. Sorry about that- I had other hopes for it, but I want to get this wrapped up before moving on to a Darcy/Loki fic I really want to write. There should be two more chapters. Also, I can't remember/find if I've said how old Jane is, but I've meant for her to be twenty-six. Again- sorry, guys! I may write a sequel, because I really like Thor and Jane, but if I do it won't be for at least a few months. =P _

* * *

Thor lay in bed that night. Easter. The holiday had never had much significance to him, and honestly, it still didn't really. But this particular _day_, this he would remember for a long time. Of all people, the 'friend' Loki had said would be joining them for dinner, of _all_ people, it was her. Jane. _Jane_...

He'd thought of her often, in the months since he'd seen her. More than he'd thought of any other woman. It drove him crazy! There was no _reason_ for it. They'd barely spoken, one time, at a random bar in another state. He'd gone home with another woman, for god's sake! So why had her light blue eyes haunted him? Why had he been able to remember so vividly every part of their last encounter? Ask him about any of the women he'd been with before or since- and there had been quite a few...Thor was not one to leave himself unsatisfied- and he wouldn't be able to tell you much. Perhaps the color of their hair, their name... But Jane. He could remember the expressions on her face, the way she would seem dismayed by something she said, or the way he had startled her into laughter, how she'd seemed so surprised that he had wanted her number.

And then today, seeing her again, it had hit him once more how incredibly beautiful she was. It was funny that he hadn't even thought about her beauty so much before. It had been her personality that had struck him so forcefully. But once he'd seen her again, he realized how incredible a feat it was that her personality could overshadow her beauty, especially when, unlike his brother's girlfriend Darcy, Jane was by no means particularly talkative, nor did she want to be center-stage.

Still, she was making him feel things that confused the ever loving hell out of him. He'd wanted her to feel comfortable- she'd seemed a little flighty at first, as if she wasn't sure how she would fit in at what Thor now realized to be quite a close, family gathering. There was no way that Jane would have known, but it was one of the first times that he and Loki had seen each other since a family feud and had separated them for ten years. And it had been the first time Thor had met Darcy. And when Jane had finally settled in and begun joking back with Darcy, he'd felt _proud_ of her. He'd regretted bringing up the ridiculous story of the old Italian woman, because, honestly, Thor didn't think it made him look too great...but then she'd started laughing and he'd been glad that he told it. She had a beautiful laugh. Yet there was something about it, perhaps even just the expression on her face, that made her seem unused to it. Like she was perpetually startled by the sound of her own happiness. The thought made his heart ache strangely.

"Ah Jane," he said to himself quietly. "What are you doing to me?"

* * *

That night Jane lay in bed thinking of Thor, too, filled with excitement for their date the next night. It had been years since she'd been on any kind of date, and she was...looking forward to it. Though that probably had more to do with Thor than with the idea of telling her life story once again.

She slept fitfully, as always, but this night her dreams were plagued with images of the big, blond man, and of his strange intensity.

* * *

As she fiddled with her hair before leaving to meet him the next night, she felt an unusual wave of self-consciousness when it came to her looks. Why did her hair have to have a curl right _there_? And why was her concealer not hiding the bags under her eyes well enough? And she really shouldn't have had that second slice of pecan pie...now her dress felt too tight, and, lordy, everything was going to go wrong- Thor would take one look at her and realize that he'd made a huge mistake asking her out.

_Stop that_! She berated herself, recognizing that these were simply old insecurities rearing their heads. _Thanks a lot, Keith._ She sighed and shook her head to dispel these thoughts. Thor had given no reason for her to believe that he thought less of her. He had only ever been kind. And kind of rude. But mostly kind.

Squaring her shoulders, Jane forced herself to accept the person in the mirror. _I love who I am_, she told herself. _I do. I am a brilliant, beautiful (okay, wow let's not get a huge head about this- or actually...screw it. DO get a big head about this)- god damn GORGEOUS independent woman who deserves a man who can see me for who I am and not just who they want me to be._ _If that man is Thor, then great. And if it's not, then...that's his loss._

* * *

He was lost. He was completely done for. Jane was wearing a tight red dress that showed off her figure to great effect, and brought out gold highlights in her dark hair. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkled, and there was such an air of hopefulness about her. _Fuck me_, he thought, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"You look beautiful," he said in greeting. She blushed and smiled, to devastating effect.

"Thank you," she said, and slid into the booth opposite him. "You too."

Thor smiled and she blushed even harder. "I mean," she stuttered, "Obviously you don't look _beautiful_, because, I mean, you look quite _handsome_ and all, with your...um, and, yes...oh god," she said, holding her head in her hands. "Goodness gracious, just shoot me now."

"I am glad you find me attractive," Thor said, chuckling, charmed by her. "I think so too."

Jane smiled at that and cocked her head to the side. "Oh," she said, not really sure how to respond to such a comment. "Mmkay." He was so amusing! She was sure a lot of people would read him as extremely narcissistic, which he was, but it didn't aggravate her at all. It didn't seem _unhealthy_. He just loved who he was and wasn't embarrassed by it.

A waiter came by and asked if they knew what they wanted. Thor looked to her in question.

"Yes, I'd like spaghetti with meatballs," she said. It was her favorite.

"And I'll have the lasagna," Thor said. The waiter nodded, writing their orders down, and promised to be back with it soon.

"So, did you fall in love with Italian food when you went to Italy?" Jane asked, latching on to the first subject she could think of. She got the feeling that he was pretty comfortable with silence, and at the moment she was way too nervous to be quiet.

"Yes," Thor said.

Jane waited. Then started laughing.

"This is funny?" Thor asked, confused. Had he been amusing? He hadn't thought so.

"Just," she snorted, "I'm sorry. But, you're so funny sometimes!" She broke off, caught in laughter again.

While Thor was glad to have provided her with amusement, he was still unclear about how he had done it. He just looked at her giggling into her hands across from him, her hair around her shoulders, glinting off of the low lights of the restaurant, and felt a pulse of warmth in his heart. She had glanced up and the expression on his face had sent her back off into giggles.

"Sorry," she said a few moments later when she'd gotten them under control. "I am so sorry. Just, the way you talk sometimes. It's extremely amusing."

"The way I talk?" Thor wrinkled his brow. He couldn't remember being told that he was funny before.

"Yeah," Jane said. Seeing the look on his face, she hastened to explain. "Oh- not in a bad way! I really like it. It's just, you're really abrupt a lot of times, and I don't expect it. So then I'm just waiting for you to elaborate, but," she waved her hands, "you're done."

"Oh," he said. Yes, he'd heard this before. "Yes, I can be quite abrupt."

Jane started laughing again. "Sorry," she giggled. "Just, you did it again. It makes me so curious what's going on in that head of yours."

Thor cocked his head to the side. What an interesting creature. She was so unlike the kind of girl he usually spent time with. Well, 'time'... He never went on dates. Had never really wanted to. Dates were to find out more about a woman, and he'd just never really cared before. But Jane- she intrigued him beyond comprehension. It had been such an unusual mood he'd been in, at that bar. On any other night, he wouldn't have approached her. He was immensely glad that he had, though.

"Ask me anything," he said. "I'm an open book." It was true. He didn't lie. He found lies to be a waste of time. They bored him. Truth was always so much more interesting, so much more dangerous.

Jane smiled widely.

"What?" he asked.

"Just...'I'm an open book.'" She laughed. "I would never call you an open book. I bet you're super good at poker, with that poker-face."

He was, actually. But he'd meant it. "Truly. Ask me anything you'd like."

"Okay..." she said, "I don't know. What are you thinking about right now?"

"How sexy you look," he answered immediately. "The way your nose crinkles when you think. Whether your hair is as silky as it looks. Why you are blushing right now."

Her cheeks had steadily gotten redder and redder as she grew more flustered. His eyes were so intense and heated, and he stared her directly in the eyes until she lowered hers in shyness. There was no doubt that he was absolutely sincere.

"Oh," she said. Well, he had told her he'd be honest.

"Why _are_ you blushing?" he asked.

"Erm, well...it's been a while since-" she broke off. "I don't know. I guess, I just haven't been complimented by a nice guy in a while."

Thor frowned. "How is this? I find it hard to believe that men do not compliment you all the time. But you said something like this, before. In New Mexico. You were surprised I wanted your number. Why?"

It was disconcerting, all this talk about herself. She wasn't really used to it. It was oddly nice though, that he seemed almost outraged for her.

"Well, guys usually just want to...get into my pants," she said, blushing. "So to speak. They don't really take the time to get to know me." Thor felt slightly guilty. He was like that with most women, too. _But not with Jane, h_e admitted. _I really _do_ care_... "So when I get compliments that end with '...so sleep with me.' I just don't really feel as complimented."

"I see." Thor thought this over as the waiter came back with their food.

"How old are you?" he asked a few moments later.

Jane choked on her bite of spaghetti. Honestly! She didn't actually mind, but she had to smile at the incredible indelicacy he could speak with.

"I'm twenty-six."

Thor nodded, apparently satisfied with this. Jane felt a bit of the devil in her rise, though, and decided to turn the tables.

"How old are _you_?" she asked.

"Thirty-two."

Oh. She'd kind of figured him for that. She still felt a little reckless though. She couldn't restrain herself, even though she knew it wasn't tactfully a good idea...

"Do you smoke?"

"No. Can't stand the smell." He tilted his head at her as if trying to work something out. "Do you?"

"_God_, no." Keith had picked up smoking when they got together. The stench of cigarettes had blanketed their tiny apartment. "Do you drink?"

"Yes. Occasionally. But I am past the age where getting drunk has any appeal." His head was still tilted. Still working on something. "Do you drink?"

"Sometimes." No. Never. Keith had drunk as well, and he had not been a happy drunk. But she didn't want to seem like a complete wuss in front of Thor.

"Jane," Thor said. "I can't help but feel you are trying to achieve something particular with these questions. Do you mean to scare me off? I hope not, because I like you. I doubt anything you say could scare me off."

This made Jane a little ashamed. He was so sweet... What was she doing? It was horribly rude to be so blunt, and incredibly unlike herself. Thor didn't deserve to be treated like that, especially now when he was being so nice about it. She felt herself blush with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry. I don't know why I...um. Did that."

He considered her for a moment, and she wondered what he was thinking. His face really gave nothing away. Unlike hers, she thought sourly. She could hide nothing. It felt like he had a bit of an unfair advantage.

"I don't mind," he said, the intensity in his eyes startling her every time she let herself stare at them. It was mesmerizing. "You're cute when you get confrontational."

* * *

_Oh dear_, Jane thought, her heart still pounding and a warm glow buzzing through her. It was after he had dropped her off back at her house. He'd been a perfect gentleman, too. Well, not exactly. He'd kissed her. But...she hadn't really minded. It had been _quite_ a nice kiss.

The five o'clock shadow he'd been sporting had felt interesting against her cheek, and he'd certainly known what he was doing. Jane had felt slightly unprepared and unsure of herself. It had been a while since she'd kissed anyone. But it had been a nice kind of unsure, almost like a redo of her first kiss. And _what_ a new first kiss it had been.


	6. Chapter 6

They'd been going out for about two weeks before Thor asked if she'd like to come back to his place. She'd hedged for a few minutes before finally saying yes and blushing. It had made Thor smile. She was always blushing at something he said or did. He'd figured out that it was because liked him, and she didn't know what to do about it. For a young woman who was as beautiful and smart and sweet as Jane was, she was also shy and unsure of herself. It made him want protect her, and shelter her from things that could hurt her- which was a completely alien feeling to Thor. He did _not_ typically suffer from White Knight Syndrome. He was more of a 'to each their own' kind of guy.

"Make yourself at home," Thor said as he opened the door to his apartment. He was a little apprehensive all of a sudden. It struck him that a lot of himself was out in the open in the way he had decorated his apartment. The intensity that he wanted Jane to like it, and to like _him_, came as quite a shock to him.

Jane nodded, smiling shyly. "Okay," she said, looking around in curiosity. "Thanks. Oh!" She picked up one of his carvings from the table in the hall. His heart beat a little faster than normal. What was she thinking? Her back was to him.

"Those are nothing," he said. "I just do that in my spare time. My hands...I can't leave them empty for too long. They need something to do." He'd had that strange handicap since...hmm. Probably since... Interesting. He couldn't remember exactly why it had started, but he'd been doing it for the past five years. He was a little embarrassed by them though. It was such an unusual thing for a grown man to do- to carve animals in his free time. Even if they were quite good, if he did say so himself.

"You make these?" She asked, turning around, holding up the one she'd been examining. Ah. Not the best specimen. It was one of his elephants that she held, but it was an earlier one, before he'd gotten the tusks right. She seemed impressed though, which heartened him a bit. It was quite unsettling, the way she could sometimes make him feel doubtful, or awkward. He'd always thought of himself as quite confident, but she made him a little unsure of himself at times. It was not necessarily a _bad_ feeling- just surprising.

"Yes. That one's not my best. You can see on the left tusk, I've chipped away more than I should have."

Jane's delicate brows rose. "These are _really_ good," she said, impressed. "You're quite talented."

They were good enough, for the most part. He agreed with her. "Thank you," he said. "Would you like a beer? Or some tea? Water?"

She blushed again, putting the elephant back down and playing absently with the folds in her pretty floral dress. "Umm. Yes," she said, making Thor smile.

"Which one?" He asked, and she ducked her head in embarrassment, laughing a little at herself.

"Umm, the beer...thanks."

Nodding, Thor turned to the kitchen, and for some reason that he couldn't quite explain, he turned back around and said, "You can have it, if you want. The elephant," he added, seeing the confused look on her face.

Feeling little unsettled by why he had done that, he shrugged it off and got them beer.

Oh. Well, that had been surprising and quite sweet of him. Jane got a feeling that he wasn't used to being sweet, though it seemed to come pretty naturally. Perhaps he just hadn't had many opportunities to show it. He seemed almost surprised at times by the things he would say, which Jane thought was adorable.

She wasn't sure if she was ready yet though, to have sex. Thor was great and all, and god knew her _body_ wanted it, but really- it had been two weeks! Did he expect it though? Was that what was normal these days? It had been a while for her.

To calm her nerves, she took a swig of beer- forgetting that she wasn't used to the taste- and almost spat it out.

"Argh!" She coughed after managing to swallow. "Oh my god. That stuff is...really good."

Thur chuckled, taking a drink. She was obviously not someone who drank alcohol. It was cute, the way she wrinkled her nose in distaste even as she tried to pretend she liked it. She was quite bad at hiding the way she felt. But the _reasons_ she felt those things- those intrigued the hell out of Thor. For instance- why was she trying to drink beer when she would clearly rather not be? He'd offered her other things, but that was what she'd chosen.

"So..." She said, tapping her fingers against the bottle nervously. "I guess...Ummhmm..." Thor was pretty sure he knew what she was trying to say, but was quite enjoying watching her fumble around for the words. She tried again. "Well, that is to say...here's the thing-"

She looked so unsure of how to continue that he finally took pity on her. "We don't have to sleep together," he told her. While he would, of course, love to, he didn't want to scare her away. He really had just invited her up to his apartment to spend time with her.

She looked at him, startled. "Oh. But I _want_ to," she said, blushing crimson.

Thor's brows rose. "_Really_?" Well _that_ was surprising. He'd had her pegged as a much more old-fashioned kind of girl who might have even wanted to be engaged before sleeping together. He hadn't really thought that far ahead, honestly. A bit of a flaw in his plan.

"What?" She asked, still red. "Don't you want to?"

Was she crazy? "Of _course_ I want to. But are you...ready? I don't want you to feel like you have to do this."

She took a swig of beer, managing not to cough this time. Her eyes had become focused on his lips and she seemed almost entranced, he noted with amusement and desire. All of a sudden it wasn't just that Jane was sitting on a couch across from him. It was that _Jane_ was sitting on _his_ couch, in _his_ apartment, across from _him_ and looking beautiful and sexy and staring at his lips. The entire atmosphere of the room changed, becoming charged.

Thor stood setting his beer aside and holding out a hand to Jane. She stood and took it, and he led her back to his bedroom.

"If at any point things go too fast for you, let me know," he said.

"I won't," Jane said. "I mean, _they_ won't. But I...um...will. Let you know." She grinned, and Thor would have chuckled, except that he was too turned on to laugh.

He tried to go slowly, but Jane was having none of it. It had been a long time coming, and she was ready for it to just happen. He was so _big,_ and muscled, and _hard_. It was exhilarating to have him focused on her. She'd only been with Keith before, and it hadn't been anything like this. It was a whole new experience.

* * *

Afterward, they lay together, spent. Thor had pulled Jane to his side and kept her there with an arm draped over her waist and against his chest. He was a surprisingly comfy pillow.

"That was..." Jane struggled to find the word.

"Life-changing?" Thor supplied, making Jane laugh. He was so full of himself. Although...he wasn't wrong.

"Basically."

Thor grinned with satisfaction, kissing her. "Good. For me too."

Jane blushed a little, remembering some of her less than staid behavior. It was a little embarrassing, how wild he made her, but she guessed that as long as he enjoyed it she would try not to think about it _too_ much.

She didn't end up going him that night, and actually had the best night's sleep she'd had in...a long time. It was so calm and peaceful with Thor. She felt safe.


	7. Chapter 7

Things continued on like that for three months. They talked on the phone every night so they could tell each other about their days and share what they'd been doing. Both were quite busy, but they tried to see each other as much as possible- typically twice a week.

He had called her that night, as usual.

"You sound stressed," he'd said. He was always concerned that she was doing too much, and spreading herself too thin. It was true sometimes, and it was actually good to have the reminder. That night though it had irked her. "You should take a few days off. Unwind a little. Come over to my house- I'll feed you." He was always trying to get her to eat. It worked a lot of the time, too, because he was a really good chef.

It made her flash back to early days with Keith, and how he was always really sweet and would be so nice to her. That was why she had fallen in love with him, she was sure. He treated her like something special, and she'd needed that after the way things with her parents had gone. But then he'd started getting hyper-critical of everything she did- her clothes were too showy, she ate too much, she spent too much time studying and didn't love him enough, she didn't do this, and she should do that...it went on and on. It had been exhausting, living with him. So then to have Thor tell her, essentially, that she should take some time off of work to be with him- it hit an old button.

"I love my work," she said testily, "and I'm necessary there. I can't just take time off whenever I want to, Thor. It would be unprofessional."

"You work too hard though. What good are you to them if you aren't well? You're first responsibility should be to yourself."

"I'm perfectly fine, Thor. I'm just a little tired, but it's nothing-"

"It's _not _nothing, though. It's important. All other areas of life suffer when someone goes without sleep. You're a scientist, Jane- you should know this."

That tone of voice- the overbearing I-know-what's-best-so-do-as-I-say- it was Keith all over. It infuriated her. She'd left him! Finally! After being with him for far longer than she should have, she'd gotten away. And for what? To have another man just replace him and start trying to control her life again? _No_. She was so angry that she couldn't think straight. Couldn't even argue at this point. But it was important, she remembered, to keep whatever control she had, because once she gave it up then it could be a long time before she got it back.

So she did the only thing she could think of. She hung up.

* * *

Thor tried calling her again many times over the next couple days, and she wouldn't pick up. He was equal parts annoyed, confused, and worried. Just what the hell had happened? He hadn't thought anything really awful had been said, and yet there was silence from Jane. How could he try to fix whatever had happened when she wouldn't even tell him what it was?

"Well, the thing I've learned is that when Darcy and I fight, I'm always wrong," Loki told him when Thor called for advice, much though it lowered him to ask his _younger_ brother for dating advice. "So just work from the point of Jane being right, and maybe you can figure something out."

"That makes no sense," Thor pointed out. "Because _I_ was right. And what are you even talking about? You and Darcy don't fight." They were ridiculously perfect for each other.

"Well, yeah. That's true. But there's been one or two times it was _kind_ of close."

Thor snorted. _Kind of close_. His brother's relationship confounded him.

They talked for a little longer, but it became pretty clear that Loki didn't really have any real advice to give Thor.

What was he supposed to do? He'd never had this problem before, because he'd never cared before if someone was mad at him, aside from Loki that is- and see how great he'd been on _that_ occasion to mend things. It had taken ten years! And it had been Loki who'd contacted him, anyways. Thor had just been resigning himself to the fact that his brother probably would never want him in his life again and had been moving on. But not this time. He liked Jane a _lot, _and he was not going to be letting her go without giving up a fight.

* * *

Jane microwaved a chicken pot pie and yelled at herself. Again. She'd been too harsh on Thor, she realized it now. He'd meant well. It actually probably _would _be good for her to take some time off, and she was a little ashamed that it had taken him telling her for her to realize it. She'd been tired and forgetful at work, and it wasn't a good combination of things in a lab. When she'd yelled at him, it hadn't really been because of what he was saying, but more the memories that it stirred up. And she'd reacted badly to it.

It was so confusing now. She wasn't sure where to go from here. She hadn't had a very good record with arguments, and how to to work through them. Between her parents basically ignoring all protests she made and Keith just using any defense as one more instance of her incredible selfishness, she just...she didn't know what to do. He kept calling her, and after the first day her anger had faded and she was left just feeling foolish and guilty. The poor guy. He was probably so confused. She meant to call, but...she was too chicken. She didn't want to be yelled at- and how could he not be angry?

The microwave dinged, announcing her food to be done. She didn't really have an appetite though. It was seven thirty on a Friday. People who had lives were probably out partying or socializing or what have you, but not Jane. She and Darcy had actually become pretty close, which had surprised and delighted Jane, but Darcy was with Loki she was sure. They typically kept to themselves on nights.

Suddenly getting fed up with herself, she grabbed her purse and headed out. Well, almost. She wrapped the pot pie in saran wrap, put it in the fridge, checked her hair and make-up quickly, and _then_ grabbed her purse and headed out.

It was so simple. She would just go _see_ him. Surely she could do this if she could _see_ him. She took the T over to the stop near his apartment. She didn't have a car because the lab was right off of the T, too, and a car was just unnecessary- she never really went anywhere outside of Boston.

The whole ride over she tried to think of what she would say when she saw him, but she came up with nothing- her mind just buzzing excitedly at the thought of seeing him again. Apparently she'd be winging it.

He didn't answer the door for a while after she knocked, making her belly sink at the thought that he might not even be _home _and what was she _thinking_ just coming over unannounced- wasn't that a thing that guys hated? Didn't they want warning? So just what the hell was she doing, and why would he be _happy_ that she'd just crashed his Friday night?

But the door did open a moment later, and there he stood and any words that she might have said were forgotten at the look of intense relief and the immediate bear hug that he gave her.

God, it felt _so_ good to be held by him. So _right_.

"I'm sorry," she said, feeling like a complete idiot about the whole thing. "You were right. I should take some time off. Bad things could happen if I'm not paying attention at work- I deal with some pretty delicate chemicals sometimes, and it could just turn into a huge disaster. I'm so sorry."

"Jane, Jane, my sweet Jane, you don't have anything to apologize for," Thor said fiercely. The endearment gave Jane's heart a thrill. "It's I who's sorry. I can be a little overbearing, I know. I will make an effort to catch myself."

_Awww_. He was so surprisingly sweet at times. She never would have thought it on that first night they'd met in New Mexico, but she was so glad that chance had had them meeting again. When she was with him she felt like she could breathe- she hadn't even realized how strung out she'd been before him. But he was good for her. He was really good for her. And she thought she might be just a little good for him, too.

Jane spent the night again. They'd talked for a long time, and talking had led to other things, and by the time they realized how late it was, it would have just been ridiculous for her to leave. It was only the second time she'd slept over- usually one of them was keeping track of making sure they got back to their respective houses because they hadn't wanted to move _too_ fast. But falling asleep with Jane felt right. Thor loved that he could just reach his arm out and there she was, all smooth and soft and _Jane_.

He smiled to himself as he drifted off. She made him so _happy_. He couldn't remember ever feeling this good before.

* * *

**_A/N:_**_ And that's all for now. Sorry! I know it's a bit rushed and not that satisfying, but I find it harder to write them now than it was at the beginning and I'm really wanting to write Darcy/Loki. I may write more on this eventually, but if I do it won't be for a long time, so I'm marking this as complete for now._

_You can still see Jane and Thor in the fic I'm currently writing, though they're not the main characters. They should be in it a fair bit- and they have kids! So that's exciting =P_

_Again, sorry- and thank you for reading/reviewing! You guys have been very supportive, and I appreciate it. =)_


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